'Small number' of BP staff unaccounted for

BP says it has evacuated workers from several Algerian sites, including the In Amenas plant, where dozens of foreigners were taken hostage.

AAPJanuary 18, 201311:05pm

BP says a &quot;small number&quot; of its staff at the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria are unaccounted for, adding it has evacuated hundreds of workers amid the &quot;serious&quot; hostage crisis at the facility.

"There is a small number of BP employees at In Amenas whose current location and situation remain uncertain," the British energy giant said in a statement on Friday.

"BP is working with the Algerian government and authorities to confirm their status. We do not intend to publicly comment on details of the number, nationalities or identities of these staff.

"BP is in direct contact with the families of all of those staff affected, offering support and providing confirmed information as we can."

The British energy giant said: "The serious situation at the In Amenas site in Eastern Algeria remains ongoing. The situation remains unclear and BP continues to seek updates from the authorities."

The London-listed company said it had evacuated workers from several Algerian sites, including the In Amenas plant, where dozens of foreigners were taken hostage.

"Overnight, BP began the staged process of bringing non-essential workers out of Algeria as a precautionary and temporary measure," the statement continued.

"Three flights left Algeria yesterday, carrying a total of eleven BP employees alongside several hundred staff from other companies."